


An Unexpected Gift

by UnhallowedDei



Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: Christmas Fluff, F/F, Love, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-24
Updated: 2018-12-24
Packaged: 2019-09-26 15:13:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,608
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17144108
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UnhallowedDei/pseuds/UnhallowedDei
Summary: Even after years together, the fun of Christmas is always to be enjoyed by Max and Chloe.





	An Unexpected Gift

Taking a step back in the deep snow, Max Caulfield admired the work they’d put into the snowman in front of her. Chloe had put a lot of effort into making him a punk to match her style, though she’d gone a little bit over the top carving eyebrows into the snow. To Max, the snowman looked like he’d gotten into Chloe’s old stash of weed and smoked it all.

“Whatcha think?” Chloe asked as she came back out of their home with a scarf, some buttons and a carrot

“He looks… high.” Max nodded approvingly.

“Dude… don’t mock. He’s seen some shit, the weed helps mellow him out before he melts.” The punk girl chuckled as she slapped the carrot into his face for a nose.

“You should give him your beanie. In fact… I dare you to give him your beanie.”

“But… my head will get cold and I love this thing,” Chloe retorted as she placed a hand on her hat. 

It wasn’t the same one she’d worn in Arcadia Bay all those years ago, Max had bought it for their first ever Christmas together after the storm. Which explained why she was so reluctant to give it up.

“Maybe Santa will bring you another one…” Max smirked playfully as Chloe finished poking the buttons into the snowman’s chest.

“Fine,” Chloe grumbled, removing her beanie.

Her hair was longer than it had been when they’d reunited, Chloe could tie it back into a ponytail but it was still the vibrant blue with funny pink roots. Max had helped her maintain the colour over the years, at times she’d even dyed a few locks blue herself just because Chloe had dared her. 

“I dunno why it had to be my hat…” Chloe continued to complain as she tried to press the beanie down onto the snowman’s round head.

“Because he’s a punk snowman and a red and white hat with a bobble won’t suit him!” Max chuckled as she filched around in her messenger bag for her Polaroid camera.

Once Chloe was finished dressing it up she posed alongside for a picture, flipping the camera her middle finger in a very typical Chloe fashion. Happy with the outcome, Max put away the camera and the picture to keep them safe and was just about to speak when a snowball hit her square in the cheek. Stunned by the sudden assault and the freezing cold on her cheek she stared at Chloe who was clearly laughing at the look on Max’s face.

“You’re…” Max muttered as she leaned down and scooped up a handful. 

She rolled it into a quick flawed ball and hurled it at Chloe who quickly tried to dodge away. The ball grazed Chloe’s shoulder, barely leaving a trail of snow on her black jacket.

“Missed!” she yelled as Max was already throwing the second.

Their snowball fight continued around the snowman, with Max trying to use it for cover as Chloe rained more and more snowballs down on her. She threw her fair share back, trying to hit the girl as much as possible. The beanie was knocked from the snowman’s head by a poor throw from Chloe, making Max stop to laugh when it landed on her shoulder.

She was about to step out and throw another ball at Chloe when she was tackled from behind into the snow, forcing the breath from her lung and taking in a mouthful of snow. Rolled onto her back she spat out the snow but couldn’t stop the laughter that escaped her lips after she’d caught her breath.

“You gonna throw another snowball at me?” Chloe asked as she tickled Max’s sides through her layers of clothing.

“Yes!” She breathed back, grabbing a handful of snow and pressing it into Chloe’s face.

Chloe squealed and turned her head away from the cold but didn’t let up her relentless tickling. Squeezing her eyes shut, Max tried to squirm away from the assault until it suddenly stopped and she felt the cool press of lips against her own. Chloe’s nose was cold against her cheek but she returned the affection all too willingly.

The pressure eased off and she felt the flick of Chloe’s nose on her own. Opening her eyes she looked up into Chloe’s, whose blue eyes were framed so perfectly by the blue bangs of her hair.

“I think… I’m a little cold.” Max whispered as she felt the warmth in the back of her legs giving way as the snow melted into her jeans.

“Time to go in?” Chloe asked. With a glance to the sky above, Max gave a subtle nod of her head. The darkness was finally closing in on the day. “Come on then.” The punk girl said, climbing to her feet before offering a hand to help Max.

After being pulled to her feet, Chloe wrapped an arm around her shoulders and gently started guiding her towards the back door of their home. Her partner’s knees were covered in snow from where she’d pinned Max down, while there were patches of white all over her jacket where Max had hit her with snowballs as well.

When they got inside they removed their jackets and scarves by the back door, trying not to traipse the snow that had clung to their boots further into their home. Chloe’s normally brown worker boots were completely caked in snow, while Max’s had fared no better. Her feet were at least warm, unlike the backs of her legs. 

She unzipped her jeans and wiggled out of the damp clothing, receiving a funny look from her partner in time who was doing the same. They kept their t-shirts on, which had been saved from the cold elements by the jackets. 

“Want a hot chocolate?” Chloe offered while Max climbed over the back of their couch with her messenger bag in her hands.

“Yes! So much!” she answered as she pulled one of the blankets over her legs and wrapped up in it. 

Looking outside she noticed the snow had started to fall again, giving her a moment to appreciate the weather before it was swallowed up in the darkness of the evening. She grabbed her camera out of her bag and checked it over to make sure Chloe’s tackle hadn’t damaged it. The camera had already been through so much since Chloe had gifted it to her back in Arcadia Bay. She’d had to repair it a couple of times, even buying spare parts off the internet. Chloe had added a couple of stickers to it as well, customizing it further. 

“You can put that down unless you want a picture of me in my underwear…” Chloe teased, leaning over the back of the couch to place a kiss on the side of Max’s head.

“Don’t we have enough of those?” Max grinned as she nudged her bag onto the floor and placed the camera on top of it.

“Maybe…” The girl chuckled as she returned to the kitchen to make their drinks.

Max could feel the warmth returning to her legs as she lay huddled up under the blanket. The lights on the Christmas tree glittered in the low light, illuminating the presents that they’d received over the last week from friends and family. 

A picture of Joyce and William sat on the mantelpiece, one of the few pictures they’d managed to scrounge out of the ruins of Chloe’s childhood home. At times, Max would feel the guilt that Chloe would never receive another gift from her mother on Christmas or on her birthday. Chloe would always notice when she’d started to feel that way, always tightly wrap her up in her arms and whisper how it wasn’t her fault. She smiled at the thought and considered how happy Joyce and William would be that their daughter was alive.

“Want me to light the fire?” Chloe asked as she returned from the kitchen.

“Only if you’re gonna join me on this couch afterwards,” she answered, accepting the steaming mug of hot chocolate from her partner. 

“Well dur, we gotta get you warmed up.” When Chloe crouched down to get the fire lit, Max noticed that she’d taken the time to pull on a pair of shorts that she’d normally wear to bed.

“Did you bring me a pair of shorts?” she said, holding the mug close to warm her hands.

“You got the blanket… and me,” Chloe replied, looking over her shoulder with a cheeky grin on her lips and a flicker of playfulness in her eyes.

Rather than respond, Max decided to enjoy the peace of the moment. Watching as Chloe got the fire going in the fireplace. When she was finally satisfied she placed the fireguard across the gap before almost jumping onto the couch. To give her space to sit down, Max sat forward and threw the blanket off. As soon as she’d sat down with her mug, Max leaned into her partner and threw the blanket across her bare legs.

They cuddled together on the couch as the fire flickered, their stomachs warmed by the hot chocolate. The previous year they’d spent Christmas with Max’s parents, meeting up with a few of the Blackwell survivors who lived in the area or came to visit. They wanted a bit more privacy this time, a little more intimacy after a busy year visiting a number of places across the globe.

“So… what’d I miss on Friday?” Chloe asked, referring to her trip to the shops to buy some more alcohol.

“More presents arrived in the mail. A couple from Kate, one from Victoria…”

“I still never expected you two to get along,” Chloe added with a chuckle.

“Steph sent something as well.” Max continued, ignoring Chloe’s input about Victoria.

“Steph? Huh… did we…”

“Yeah, I sent her a card and a cute teddy bear with the words ‘Don’t roll a one’ on its t-shirt.”

“That’s why you’re awesome, Max.” Chloe sighed, resting her head against Max’s.

“Well she did send you that dragon bracelet last year,” Max whispered before taking another sip of her drink.

“Right… we need to pick a Christmas movie! Gotta be all festive ‘n’ shiz…” Chloe said a little enthusiastically, grabbing the controller to their console to start looking for something.

Max knew why she’d changed the topic so quickly. Chloe and Steph had reconnected during a ceremony to Arcadia Bay a year after its destruction, but it hadn’t been the easiest time. Rachel Amber had been mentioned and brought up in conversation which Max knew had touched a raw nerve Chloe had never buried. There was no closure when she couldn’t ask what had really happened, they could only guess or make assumptions which could be right or wrong. Despite a few wonderful years together, they were both still carrying the scars of that week. 

“Die Hard!” Chloe announced triumphantly.

“That’s not a Christmas movie…” Max argued quickly.

“It fucking is! There’s Christmas music, trees and lights. It’s a Christmas movie… so says the movie Gods.”

“It’s an action flick with a half-dressed main character and a bad guy in a suit.”

“Still a Christmas movie, Max. You can’t win!” Chloe repeated with a playful tone in her voice.

“Fine… put it on. I’ll just enjoy my snuggles.” She muttered, trying to put on a grumpy voice but failing miserably. She was more than happy to watch the movie. “I’m surprised you’re not suggesting the new Blade Runner…”

“That’s tomorrow evening’s entertainment,” Chloe replied with a squeeze of Max’s smaller frame.

“So you can drool over Ryan?” Max taunted gently.

“Fuck no… Ana.”

“Perv…”

“Says you… you offered to cosplay Joi at comic con next year.” Chloe laughed, shifting in her seat to get comfortable and causing Max to slip back into her arms a little more.

“You dared me to!”

“Oh yeah…” Max couldn’t help but roll her eyes. “I’m looking forward to it,” Chloe muttered happily.

When Max’s mug was empty she carefully lowered it to the floor before turning to get a little more comfortable in her partner’s arms. She was half watching the movie as it played, enjoying the peace of the evening. If they were at her parents they’d have been bombarded with questions until they went to bed. It was nice to relax in front of the fire with an old movie, warm in the loving embrace of the girl who she sacrificed so much for. 

The warmth made her a little sleepy, she could feel her eyelids getting heavier which only made her cuddle a little closer to Chloe. As she slowly started to drift off to sleep, she was looking forward to the following day when Chloe would rip into her presents with the reckless abandon she’d exhibited the last few times. It brought a smile to her face as she tried to imagine the look on Chloe’s face when she opened the presents Max had bought her.

* * *

 

At some point in the night, Max woke up with the blanket still wrapped around her bare legs. Opening her eyes she looked around the room, her head was on a pillow but there was no sign of Chloe. The embers in the fireplace were low, granting very little light as Max sat up to look around the room. She could hear the gentle footfalls of bare feet on the carpet and glanced towards corridor leading to the bedroom and bathroom. With her hair still tied up in a ponytail, Chloe entered the room with a very small present in her hand. She stopped suddenly when she saw Max was awake, but a smile quickly broke across her face.

“Wassamatta?” Max mumbled as Chloe walked around their couch.

“It’s Christmas Day… by about twenty minutes,” Chloe answered, kneeling down next to Max and placing the present beside her.

“You wanna open our presents already?”

“Just this one,” Chloe smirked. “Please?”

“Alright…” Max answered.

Tentatively, she picked up the small object. It wasn’t wrapped in paper, it just had a small blue bow tied around the white box. She pulled on the bow to unravel it and dropped it beside her, glancing up at Chloe who had a look of anticipation on her face. Slowly, she opened the top and looked inside. Her breath caught in her throat as she stared at a beautiful silver necklace with a blue-winged butterfly.

“When did you…” she asked first, her curiosity getting the better of her.

“When I went to get the alcohol,” Chloe smirked. “Do you… do you like it?”

“I love it!” 

Placing the box beside her, she leaned forward and wrapped her arms around Chloe’s neck to give her a firm kiss. She smiled warmly as they parted and quickly handed her partner the necklace.

“Would you do the honours?” she offered.

“Of course!”

Taking the necklace from her, Chloe undid the clasp before placing it around Max’s slim neck. She could feel her partner’s breath on her neck as she locked the two ends together, then she felt the touch of her lips that sent a tingling sensation through her.

Looking down, the butterfly came to rest just below her collarbone. The silver necklace was a little tighter than she’d expected, but she loved it all the same. It was a gift from Chloe, there had never been a time she hadn’t been happy with what her darling partner had bought her.

“Merry Christmas, Max,” Chloe whispered in her ear.

“Merry Christmas, Chloe,” she responded as Chloe sat back just far enough for them to look into one another’s blue eyes.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much, to everybody within the Life is Strange Fandom, who has supported my writing over the last thirteen months. You are all wonderful!
> 
> Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas! I hope you have a fantastic day.


End file.
